Hidden Treasure.

He had been searching for months. The perfect plot of land to start his home on. He had saved up so much over the years, he was finally ready to invest. But every plot of land seemed flawed. One was too rocky and dry, another too wet, yet another teeming with weeds and bugs. When would he find that perfect plot of land?

As he traveled the regions, over mountains and through valleys, he kept his eye out for the field that would call out to him. And he thought he found it — in a humble plot of soil. It was unassuming and unobtrusive. He decided to take some time to till it, to dig around, to feel the soil and the dirt. Gritting his teeth and rolling up his sleeves, he began to dig, to brush through, to dig up the moist soil from under the surface. He felt it between his fingers, smelled the sweet earth, checked every inch for imperfections.

He worked around the perimeter, closing into the center of the field. As he grew more and more tired, he thought maybe this wasn’t so perfect after all. He found more imperfections, more inconsistencies in the quality of the soil. Discouraged, he halfheartedly picked at the last area he had to work through.

Eureka.

There, only inches deep within the soil, in the middle of this humble plot of land, a pearl. A pearl of great price. Could it truly be? It could. It had to be. He gently covered it back up, and didn’t hesitate before going into the market with all his possessions. In his absolute joy, he sold all that he had saved.

And he gladly bought the field.

Oh, the lengths he went to for one precious pearl.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he gives and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44It continues — “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (verses 45–46)

Lately, I’ve been sitting in what it means to find the value and worth of the hidden treasure that is our Jesus Christ. To gladly surrender and give all I have in myjoy, in order to have more of Him.

This last year of my life has been a whirlwind of hurt, hiding, running away, acceptance, forgiveness, and healing. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions and crying and yelling and whining. It has been nights of insomnia and days I didn’t want to wake up for. It has been a torrential downpour of mercy and grace and love — undeserved, yet unrelenting.

As I finish healing, as I finish processing, as I finish this season, I visualize it as a book, complete with chapter titles and one-liner summaries.

Chapter 1. Incidental Accident. “God, I’m like bleeding everywhere, you got a band-aid or something?”Chapter 2. Give and Take Away. “I get that I’m injured but the surgery almost feels more painful — are you sure it’s worth it?”Chapter 3. Rest in Awe. “Sit by my bedside and let me just look at you, Daddy.”Chapter 4. Wobbly Legs. “I’m patched up and I’m trying to stand, but I’m too weak; God, help me stand again.”Chapter 5. Rehab-meditation. “Let me lean on you for strength, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

How relieving it is that I am not responsible for the outcome of my own story. Lord knows that is too much decision making for me to handle.

As I continue this chapter of leaning on the Lord and learning to continually surrender the things in my hands, my prayer for you is the same — that you would fall so in love with God that it becomes ajoy to surrender what you have to hold more of Him.

Jesus is our treasure. If you found it, how could you ever cover it up and forget about it? If you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, how could you desire the dirty things of the world, be it money, sex, or success?

It’s a joy to follow the Lord. It’s not easy; oh no no.But it’s a joy and a privilege; a blessing. And it’s worth it. You’ll see.